UK Club at Seattle’s 2011 Dream Gala

Image: Mr Harley Franco and Mrs Lela Franco receive the Living & Giving award on behalf of Club Member Harley Marine

The UK Club was one of the corporate sponsors attending the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 22nd Annual Dream Gala in Seattle this month. Thomas Miller Americas’ President Mike Jarrett hosted a Club table at the gala for local Members and friends.

The highlight of their evening was when UK Club Director Harley Franco, his wife Lela and the employees of Harley Marine were honoured with the JDRF Seattle Guild’s “Living and Giving” award which recognises “outstanding support” of the foundation’s work.

The gala evening raised $3.5 million for the foundation and its work in researching cures and therapies for type 1 diabetes among young people.

Unsurprisingly the Dream Gala is one of the most successful fundraising activities of the JDRF. Since 1989, the JDRF’s Seattle Guild has raised over $46 million to support diabetes research.

Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.5 billion to diabetes research, and research-related education. The foundation has established local chapters across the United States and affiliates in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, India, Israel, Mexico and the United Kingdom.